Trolley-wheel fork.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

E. W. KEATING. TROLLEY WHEEL FORK. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1906.

(524mm zg zmm INVENTOR.

5y i uzwvl A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TROLLEY-WHEEL FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1966.

Application filed February 3,1906. Serial No. 299.308.

To all whmn lit may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. KEATING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Trolley-IV heel Fork, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of trolley-wheel forks which are used for the purpose of supporting and properly holding in place the trolley-wheel used for the purpose of holding and guiding the trolley-pole of an electric car or other similar vehicles in connection with the trolley-wire; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a trolley-wheel fork whereby the trolley-wheel will be firmly held upon the trolley-pole and in safe connection with the trolley-wire sec- 0nd, to provide such a fork which. will prevent the trolley-wheel from being knocked from the trolley-wire by obstructions-such as cross-wires, switch connections, and other similar obstructions third, to provide such a fork whereby in case the trolley-wheel meets with an obstruction such as a cross-wire, which would naturally knock the wheel from the wire, the trolley-wheel will be protected and prevented from losing connection with the trolley-wire; fourth, to provide such a fork whereby all strain and jar occasioned by the wheel meeting with obstructions will be received and compensated by the fork itself, thereby removing all danger of strain, bending, and breaking of the trolley-pole, so commonly experienced in the use of trolley-wheel forks used heretofore, and, fifth, to provide such a fork which will be substantial, efli cient, durable, simple in construction, and economical.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the trolley-wheel fork. Fig. 2 is a plan of the trolley-wheel fork. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the hangers and the mechanism supported thereby.

The letter A indicates a fork consisting of a hollow shank a, which constitutes a socket for the reception of the extreme end of the trolley-pole b, upon which the fork is mounted and held by a rivet c and two arms or prongs d. The two prongs cl are provided at their extreme ends with hangers e and shaft-bearings p. The hangers e are integral with the prongs of the fork and consist of two parallel walls i and i, which project upward from the upper edges of the two arms or pron s d of the fork A, thereby forming a channe or recess m between said walls for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The walls i and i are beveled downward right and left from the center of their upper edges, thereby forming a triangular outline, the apex of which is rounded and perforated horizontally for the purpose of providing the shaft-bearings n. A threaded pin 0 or other substantial device is positioned at either end of the channels 171 for the purpose of holding the hereinaftor-described springs s, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Immediately below the center of the hangers e the prongs d of the fork are perforated longitudinally for the purpose of providing shaft-bearings p, which support the shaft 7" of the trolley-wheel w. A grooved trolley-wheel w of any of the well-known types is suspended between the prongs d of the fork A by means of a shaft 1, upon which the wheel is keyed or otherwise fixed. A guide-rod t is suspended perpendicularly and movably between the walls of the hangers a by means of shafts 7*, which find hearings in the shaft-bearings n in the wallsi and i and consist of a cylindrical shaft 2, a bearing-block 3, and a pendent hanger-like lever 4, all integral with each other. The lower end of the cylindrical shaft 2 is slightly smaller than the upper face of the bearing-block 3 at the junction therewith and forms a shoulder 5, upon which a cylindrical sleeve 12 rests. The bearing-block 3 is perforated horizontally for the purpose of receiving the shaft 1", upon which the guiderod t is loosely mounted and the extreme ends of which find bearings in the shaft-bearings n of the walls i and i. The outer faces of the two outer walls i are provided with notch-like recesses 7 for the purpose of permitting the passage of split pins 8, which confine the shafts 7" within their bearings with their outer ends flush with the outer faces of the walls i in order that there will be no pro'ection of shafts 1" beyond the face of the Walls i, and the inner ends of the shafts r are provided with beveled heads which fit into the inner ends of the shaft-bearings n in the walls i, which are countersunk for the reception of said beveled heads. Notchlike recesses 9 are likewise cut into the outer walls for the purpose of receiving the split pins 10, which confine the shaft r within its bearings p. Two strong spiral springs s are attached at their inner ends to the extreme lower end of the pendent lever 4 of each of the guide-rods t, and their opposite ends are attached to the corresponding pins 0, mounted in the extreme ends of the channel m of the hangers e. The springs s when normal counterbalance each other, and thereby hold the guide-rods tperpendicularly.

A loos ly-fitting slrcve 12 is mounted upon each of the cylindrical shafts 2 and rest upon the shoulders The sleeves 12 are provided a short distance above the rims of the trolley-wheel w with downwardly-curving projections u for the purpose of preventing wires or other obstructions from catching between the sides of the wheel and the guiderods and hangers. The shafts 2 of the guide rods extend a short distance above the upper ends of the sleeves 12 for the purpose of receiving pins 13, which transfix tho roject ing ends of said shafts and are bent downward over the edges of the sleeves for the purpose of confining said sleeves upon. the shafts 2.

When obstructions such as cross-wires, switch connections, and similar obstaclrs are met by the trolley-wheel the upwardlyprojecting guide-rods if first strike such obstruetion, and the force of the collision is transmitted to the springs s, which take up any strain occasioned thereby in their res )ective extension and compression, depress the trolley-wheel below the obstruction, but still straddle the trolley-wire, and when free of the obstruction ii'nmcdiately resume normal position, thereby restoring the guiderods to normal osition and the trolleywheel to the troffty-wire. The sleeves 12 are loose upon the shafts 11 and are therefore free to revolve thereon while passing an obstruction, hence are subject to but little wear and no strain. The springs 8 receive and compensate the blow and consequent strain occasioned by collision with an obstruction, and thereby relieve the trolleywheel and trolley-pole of all danger of injury therefrom.

Having described my invention, its opera tion and purpose, what I claim as new and eaaioa useful, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

In a trolley-wheel fork, the con'ibination with a trollry1')olc and trolley-whecl, of a two-prongvd fork consisting of a shank, two hangers supported by the prongs of said fork, and a shaft, adapted to support the trolley-wheel, two guide-rods suspended per )endicularly within said hangers, a double set of opposing springs in connection with each of said guideaods and said hangers, respectively, shafts adapted to support said guide-rods, a I111 tallic sleeveinounted upon the upright shafts of said guide-rods, and pins, transfixing the upper ends of the guide-rods and adapted to confine said sl' eves upon said guide-rod shafts, all substantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.

In a trollzy-whccl fork, the combination with a trolh-y pole and wheel, of a twopronged fork, consisting of a socket-shank adapted to fit onto the end of the trolleypole, two prongs, integral with. said socketshank and providrd with shaft-bearings adapted to support the shaft of the trolleywheel, two hangers supported by the prongs of the fork, res )wtively, upon opposite sides of the trolley-wheel, a movable, upwardlyprojeeting guide-rod, suspended upon shafts, within each of said hai'igers, a loose sleeve mounted upon each of the guide-rods, adapted to straddle and confine the trolley-wire, a downwardly-curving bur projecting from the walls of said slecvrs, a double set of opposing springs, attached to the lower ends of iach of the guide-rods and to the opposite ends of the hangers, respectively, adapted to control the guide-rods and to compensate all shock and strain sustained by the trolleywhecl fork, all substantially as described and. shown and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have affixed my signature in the. presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD W'. KEATING.

W i tnesses M. E. CALL, SYDNEY B. DAVIS. 

